Archive | July, 2007

Posted on 31 July 2007

On and impluse, I did a search for old Interzone covers on google images, and came back with this site which holds most (if not all) the covers of Interzone from Issue 1 to Issue 199, which strangely enough is exactly where I started subscribing to it.

I particularly liked the way the cover changed slightly from Issue 1 to Issue 2, the total eclipse of the sun moving off centre and the colour changing. Very effective, if simplistic.

You can see how the artwork progressed, and the way in which ’sf’ is being portrayed through art is changing.

It’s also amusing to see how the Interzone logos change over the years, of which I prefer the newest. Although that’s not to say the older ones weren’t ‘cool’ in their day - they just look kind of dated now, which isn’t really true of the artwork itself, it’s stood the test of time.

My favourite is Issue 16 as it reflects the kind of stories I rate high on my list - a world which is similar to our own on the surface, but strange when examined closely.

Looking at the covers, quite a few names jump out. Most notably, J.G Ballard, Christopher Priest, Jonathan Carroll (which I never realised had written for Interzone), Ian Watson, Kim Newman, Greg Bear, Bruce Sterling,, Greg Egan, Eric Brown and William Gibson, to name but a few. Which goes to make an impressive lineup.

Posted on 30 July 2007

Stargate SG1 Season 10, Volume 1 :: Brand New Stargate Infinity

Released By FOX TV DVD On Monday 13 August 2007

Stargate fans are in for a treat on Monday 13 August as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases two new series to add to Stargate collections. The critically-acclaimed, multi award-winning Sci-Fi adventure series Stargate SG-1, Season 10, Volume 1 and Stargate Infinity - the brand new animated action-adventure series are available to own for the first time on DVD.

Stargate Infinity follows four exceptional Air Force Academy cadets and a wrongly court-martialed Stargate veteran who must travel through the gated wormholes from one planet to the next in order to protect a mysterious alien creature from the sinister clutches of a new extraterrestrial enemy.

Stargate SG-1 Season 10 is the final adventure for the team and the last instalment in the SG1 collection. It sees the SG-1 military squad undertaking missions across the universe through the Stargates, encountering various alien creatures and cultures on their journeys as they set out on another mission to defend the earth from the unknown.

This new season is a historic one as it celebrates the 200th episode, making it the longest-running science fiction series on television, surpassing The X-Files and every series of Star Trek. Besides being the final season for Stargate SG-1, the 10th season also features the much-anticipated 200th and (final) episode, and the return of Richard Dean Anderson reprising his role as General Jack O’Neil for episode four (“The Shroud”).

Stargate SG-1 is an action-packed sci-adventure series involving a team of U.S. Air Force soldiers and scientists who use ancient portals in space called Stargates to travel instantaneously from their Stargate Command base in the Rocky Mountains to other planets to explore, forge alliances, defuse crises, establish trade and investigate mysteries.

Stargate SG-1 has become one of the most popular and longest running science fiction shows in television history and the DVD is packed full of ‘extras’ including audio commentary, photo galleries and a Moving Menus, making it a must-buy for any Sci-Fi or Stargate fans. Further volumes in the tenth series will be released between September and December this year.

Stargate SG1 is a Twentieth Century Fox Television production and has been nominated for over 60 Sci-Fi and television awards during its run.

David Lynch’s first film since the award-winning Mulholland Drive (and his first shot completely on digital) is a complex Hollywood mystery that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality and features an astonishing performance by Laura Dern.

Inland Empire Synopsis

Dern plays Nikki Grace, an actress preparing for her biggest role yet, a Hollywood movie from an acclaimed director (played by Jeremy Irons) opposite an amorous leading man (Justin Theroux). But when she finds herself falling for her co-star, she realizes that her life is beginning to mimic the fictional film that they’re shooting. Adding to her confusion is the revelation that the current film is a remake of a doomed polish production that was never finished due to an unspeakable tragedy…

Inland Empire DVD Extras

The release is packed with a suprising amount of extras: Guardian interview at the NFT with David Lynch / A Short Interview in London / Conversation with David Lynch by Mike Figgis / A Masterclass with David Lynch / Interview at the Cartier Foundation

Posted on 30 July 2007

“The world has turned on its axis and a traveller has arrived from beyond the stars, but it’s a secret from earth’s past that could destroy all…”

Simon Morden’s The Lost Art is set in a post apocalyptic world, at a guess, a thousand years ahead of today. Earth has been turned, literally, on its axis and forced mankind back a few hundred years to the mid fifteenth century. The inversion of the world is not really explained, so whether technology itself, or some natural global catastrophe, caused it is unknown. The story is stubborn, it doesn’t even give a hint.

Our world has gone; the Users, who were the old, pre Inversion people, have gone, and has been replaced by population suspicious of technology. Nevertheless, certain people, including the Kenyans have started to use and develop technology once more.

The story starts brutally with the slaying of a monastery of monks in Siberia. Va is the sole survivor, having the fortune to be sent away at the time of the attack. He finds that six ancient, metal covered books were stolen during the attack and, being a mental monk, striving to cleanse himself of his previous sins, he immediately sets out to get them back. The books, whose contents are thought to be dangerous, as they contain the ‘knowledge of mankind’, would bring on the destruction of the World, were locked and hidden deep in the monastery for a reason. Va is continuously followed by a princess whose love has been ignored and thwarted (remember, he’s atoning his sins), but who never gives up helping him.Read the full story

Posted on 25 July 2007

Heroes and Villians

I accidently watched Heroes on BBC2, while being enprisoned in a hotel and it was a nice diversion from the usual drivel on TV. As I’m still actually going through the chapters at the moment, watching chapter one and chapter two was a welcome recap, enabling me to take in more of the story and notice things which I’d never noticed before, and notice things which aren’t apparent if you don’t know what happens in the forthcoming episodes (erm.. if that makes sense).

It seems to get better with each viewing too.

I’m glad that BBC2 bought up the rights to show Heroes, as it deserves a wider audience. It’s skillfully written, with argueably great acting, and the subtle effects are perfect. Tune in, or miss out!